Lifehacks Energy

Amy Darcy spends a lot of time in the kitchen for her health blog, with son Finn.Source:News Corp Australia

CONFUSED Australians are taking matters into their own hands this summer, in a bid to lower energy bills.

Galaxy research commissioned by iSelect found just 32 per cent of 1144 respondents claimed to perfectly understand their energy bill, while 59 per cent understood it “somewhat”.

One thing almost all agreed on however, was that bills were high and action needed to be taken, with 90 per cent actively trying to reduce their bill throughout the hotter months. Of those without air conditioning, 100 per cent were taking action that included using internal blinds and curtains, fans and opening and closing windows at certain times to ease the effects of the heat.

Meanwhile, those with air conditioning were feeling bill pain, with 15 per cent pledging to switch their energy provider this summer.

Some were even looking to find extra money from the family food budget, according to iSelect spokeswoman Jessie Csaplar.

“Rising energy bills are clearly taking their toll on hip pockets,” she said. “It’s concerning that people are cutting back on air conditioning and entertainment to afford their summer energy bills but more alarming that one in five even plan on cutting back on groceries.”

Ms Csaplar said it was important to get on the front foot by seeking out a better plan, or if in an area with limited choice of different providers, to look at what flexible options current deals might provide.

“Investigate what billing c

Amy Darcy and son Finn are trying to cut down power costs.Source:News Corp Australia

ycle works best,” she said. “Flexible payment options such as bill smoothing or more frequent payment cycles make managing energy costs a little easier and help avoid an unexpectedly large quarterly bill.”

On average respondents reported their quarterly bills had increased by $140, with NSW residents paying $151 more on average and South Australians $147. Meanwhile, 55 per cent found it difficult to compare energy plans and providers, while 71 per cent were very concerned about upcoming bills.

Lifestyle blogger Amy Darcy recently moved to Sydney with her husband and 18 month old son and has struggled with the heat.

Running her blog www.eatprayworkout.com from home requires plenty of power, as her workout demonstrations need air conditioning and kitchen appliances are called on when sharing healthy cooking advice.

“The heat has been insane since we moved here and we’ve had to run the aircon non-stop,” she said. “I haven’t got my first bill yet, so I’m a bit concerned about that.”

Ms Darcy has been cutting back on non-essentials and is trying to restrict air conditioning use.

“I try to do the workouts in the morning to minimise the need for air conditioning and make sure power is switched off when not in use,” she said.

Comparison company Canstar Blue’s editor Simon Downes said staying engaged with new energy offers gives people more bargaining power with providers.

“It is time consuming and difficult, but two hours to compare a plan and switch could mean a lot of money saved,” Mr Downes said. “Every two months, see how your offer compares to the rest of the market and decide what you want to do with that information.”